It will be December 1 before the first of several reports about Connecticut Light & Power’s handling of the power outages caused by the October 29 nor’easter is complete. Even CL&P’s own internal review won’t be ready until early January.
That means it is also too soon to conclude CL&P President and Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey Butler, who resigned yesterday in the face of intense public pressure, should at this point bear any blame for anything except appearing unlikeable and confusing at press conferences.
We don’t need any studies to know Butler’s post-storm news conferences - like the one captured in this Hartford Courant photo - were widely panned.
Rather than being viewed as a strong, sympathetic executive, Butler to many came across as a blend of the uncomfortable “this is the first televised presidential debate in history” Richard Nixon…
… and rich, evil, out-of-touch nuclear plant owner Mr. Burns from “The Simpsons” …
Northeast Utilities, CL&P’s parent, Thursday said the company will launch a national search for Butler’s replacement. A spokesman, Al Lara, told me the process is likely to take several months
“The search process is something that’s different with every search and every company,” Lara said. “It is coordinated by the board of trustees. Typically they may contract with an executive search firm that indentifies a pool of candidates that have both experience and meet other requirements and are hopefully diverse as well.”
Hmmm. Meet other requirements, eh? Like not making angry customers angrier?
Perhaps NU execs should instead launch a casting call. Butler spent around 3 decades in the industry and none of that behind-the-scenes experience mattered when those cameras got rolling here in Connecticut a few weeks ago and Gov. Dannel Malloy decided to end their joint appearances because he no longer wanted to be in the same room with the guy.
So here, for the benefit of NU, I present some familiar personalities who, if not actually available for the job of running a major utility or familiar with anything electrical other than a socket, have those camera-ready “can’t promise when the lights are coming back on but somehow you just can’t get angry at them” qualities CL&P clearly needs in its next COO…
Beloved film/television star Betty White…
Beloved (and, like Butler, newly retired) television star Regis Philbin…
A woman who needs no description…
People Magazine’s sexiest man…
And People’s most beautiful person…
The original Mr. “I feel your pain”…
State weatherman/television personality Scot Haney…
Boo, the most popular dog on Facebook…
One of the hottest toys of the 2011 holiday season…
And, speaking of the season, a man who’s dealt with his share of horrible weather and remains admired around the world…
Good luck with the search, NU.
Brian, like your choices, but you forgot Gumby. He’s flexible and can dodge the slings and arrows.